Olham

I know, Messaround - with the Dr.1 or the D VII, I am a terrible butcher; killing anything and all. But I still enjoy my Albatros most. Must be true loyalty. It's not so, that I didn't try the other planes. Dr.1, D VII, Camel, S.E.5, SPAD VII, Nupe 17 - all great fighters. But the Albatros has a beauty of it's own, that I'm always again attracted by. And to do well in a plane, that is, later in the war, not one of the best choices anymore, is quite challenging!

Yes - for the nimble light planes like Nupe11, it could be helpful to pass them before landing, to check the direction of the wind.

RC: I struggled my way through a long DiD EIII pilot and made it to the change to the Halb. Wow, Rickitycrate, that's quite an achievement! Surviving the Eindecker phase! In Udet's footsteps, eyh?

Hey, that's a good idea, with RNAS 3. Were are they stationed?

Hmm - that could be a reason to start another Allied carreer. We Germans have not rockets.

Hasse, the Albatros is a dream of a fighter, when you use her right. I have some overall rules, that the aces also used: - stay out or try to climb out of furballs (with constant check of six), to become the highest flyer - then work your way down through the opponents - call your wingmen to remain up high with you, or assign them high targets - help them as hard as you any can - when outnumbered, or equally numbered and opponent plane is as good or better than yours; pepper them all good enough, to cause damage in EVERY plane; only after that, go to kill them You will like her - I feel so easy and fearless in this scout. Yesterday we had to patrol friendly lines, and we (4 Albatros D Va) got jumped on by three SPAD XIII. We only had to avoid direct first hits; but when they had given up their advantage of height once, they were lost already. My pilot book notes: 2 SPAD XIII, Esc.91, dest. at 15h31 and 15h33, south of Sissone airfield. After that, we patrolled the line, and saw flights of D VII, DFW two-seaters and Hannovers. We felt really good with so much German air activity! Then I spotted two SPADs, attacking Fismes field. And again the notebook reads: 2 SPAD XIII from Esc.83 dest. 15h54 and 15h57, north-east of Fismes airfield. Enjoy flying her, and be careful and never a hotspur, and you'll have a good time!

That had to happen - I was waiting for a collision all the time. Man, do you go close on! A great action video, with dramatic cutting - very good! The Dr.1 pilots didn' live up to their planes; when S.E.5s join in to turn fighting, they would be lost against the Fokker. But when they are clever, and use their speed advantage for a boom-and-zoom fight, they are very uneaqual opponents, and the outcome would be un- predictable.

Normally, Baumer is a very good ace. He must have just been too impressed by your skin. A very beautiful plane!

Yes, Cosmo, we have Arco's for breakfast, second breakfast, lunch etc. I think, the first better plane for the Brits were the Scout, or then the Sopwith Pup. But they have some dangerous two-seaters. Why not sign there?

I should think, it's alright. We Germans receive 4 or 5 Iron Crosses, before we get the Blue Max. So, your Victoria Cross should soon be with you.

Bullet, I think, the D Va has more horse power, and 1.100 rounds instead of 1.000 I must admit, that I don't know better at this moment - I must check. Rickity - at least you try! And it's not that wrong - it's understood. German is one of the very difficult languages. Even German kids in school have problems. It starts, were you say "the". The sun, the moon, the child. We say: Die Sonne, der Mond, das Kind. Don't ask me why...

You were right, Bullet! Those "Kommisköppe" (army blockheads) were upset! As they couldn't really do very much - I shot those SPADs down, that attacked one of our fields - they decided to give me only 3 from 7 claims confirmed! Man, am I upset! Next time I'll make sure it's a bomber with full load, that I'll shoot right into the CO's office building!

Today, I installed patch 1.30 and then 1.30c and Hardcore 1.30c (before: 1.28a and Hardcore) I did intensive test flying with an Albatros D Va, concentrating on the upper right corner with the warnings. I noticed, that the warning "airframe stress" (or so) appeared only, when I did very rude manoeuvers. I noticed, that I don't go that far with all my moves, that it would appear at all. But then, I challenged it, forced it to happen. Steep dives etc. Nothing broke up, still. Not once. My flying style was still too careful. Now I did a vertical dive; and only now, after some sqeeking awful noise and the warning, a wing broke. So, now I'm confused a bit. I must have mistaken midair collisions for breaking up planes then? I always thought, you get a text line saying: "you collided with another craft" or such? Or did it appear, and I didn't see it in the heat of the moment? Am I getting old??? (Lol!!!) So, in deepest shame, I beg your pardon, devs; especially you, Pol, for all the "ZZZZzzz"-test-flying. She is my lady again. The most beautiful plane of all.

Cosmos - my advice: sign in a second pilot; in 1918; in the area Cambrai or Reims. If you still don't see any enemies, you will know, something is wrong. Were are you stationed now? There are areas, that aren't covered by enemies, in early 1916. You could then only try it elsewere.

Yes, Hasse Wind, she is a beautiful lady! Today I did this: I patched the game to 1.30, then to 1.30c, and then to Hardcore 1.30c. (Before: 1.28a and Hardcore) Then I did some intensive testing in QC. I noticed, that I'm flying more careful than necessary. The warning didn't even appear yet, when I reacted careful on screaking noise in the structure. So, I'm flying her really well. But: nothing broke up. It just didn't happen. Not once. Even when I got a bit rougher with her; even at a 30° dive, nothing broke up! After that, I dared to continue my campaign in Jasta 9. All was fine - not a single problem! Now I'm wondering, if it might be possible, that all those breaking up planes could have been mid air collisions? Does one get an obvious writing, saying: midair collision? Or does it look like a breaking up plane? In that case I beg your pardon, devs, and especially you, Pol, for all your testing. Sorry. But now I'm happy! She is my Lady, definitely. And together, we killed 4 SPAD XIII in one sortie. It must be love...

The gunsight isn't really worse than on the early Nupes, and the overall view is wonderful. You must let go any idea of aiming over a gunsight, a crosshair or such. Learn to know, were your bullets go, and then get the enemy plane into that spot. When you got that understood, you will be able to do an incredible deflection shooting.

Yes, MacLroy, I had that happening too. And I tell you what - it's so hard to make the 17 hours, or 12 confirmed kills, that I didn't bother. I didn't want the team to jump on that and eliminate it. Imagine it being lucky streaks. As Hellshade said: they'll be over sooner than you think.

Cosmos, sign somewere near Arras or Albert, pick the date in September or later in 1916. You will encounter German Halberstadts and Albatros DI and DII. You may even meet the early Manfred von Richthofen with Jasta 2. If you want real action, you shouldn't sign before "Bloody April" 1917; and really crowded does it get in 1918. You must not start at the earliest date possible. You won't survive the whole war anyway. Believe me.

I-LIKE-THEM! Hadn't tried them much, as they only have one gun. But then I thought, well, the Allied have only one, so why not? I like the plane's stability and it's good climb. When you do the right tactics and are not too outnumbered, you'll manage to kill Nupe 11s with this plane! One of my five campaign pilots flies Halberstadt now.

Well, Duce, the part after touchdown is problematic; they seem to loose the ability to "know" were the others are. But in my case (see thread "Halberstadts happily landing"), it almost all worked well. They rolled in various angles, so they couldn't collide.

Julian: In RB3d I killed Albert Ball, Billy Bishop, Raoul Lufberry, René Fonck, Georges Guynemer and Robert Little in one career. My total tally: 153 Now I would really like to do this again in OFF... Aherrmm! I'm afraid, Sir, that this is a simulation - not a fun fair caroussel (Lol!)

Great designs, RABU, but wouldn't pics of the sim planes and air combat be attracting the right people more? (And, on the German card, it should be: Unbestätigte Abschüsse verboten!)

What I meant, was rather have T-Shirts for us OFF pilots to wear outdoors, and maybe make people curious. I didn't mean to sell them to others. We could do several designs (everyone who feels fit to do one, should), and then everyone can down- load/copy a design of their likes, and go to the next big copyshop. There, you can get a kind of decal paper copied onto, which you can iron onto a white T-shirt then. It doesn't last too long though, after several washings, it wears off. Of course, printed would be better.

If you find me childish now, well, I may often be just like a big boy; but it really makes me SO HAPPY, when after a stressful flight, our planes land safe again. We had attacked an Allied airfield near Albert, and we got pretty shaken by Flak. But only one Albatros DII was missing later; an outcome, that I think is quite good for that sort of attack. And despite the stuff I read about crash landings, I must say, that 7 from 8 planes returning, made the landing absolutely great and well! (One Halberstadt crashed into a tree). Hope, you may enjoy other but combat pics here - just pictures of a safe landing.

Are you really such a butcher, Julian? Does it not satisfy the fighter pilot in you, that you shot him down? If I fly the Allied side, and get the chance to send Hermann Goering into the mud more than once, I will happily do so! And into the mud again, Herr Meier (or was it Mueller, he wanted to be called, once the British bombers appeared over Berlin? Herr Großmaul [bigmouth] would also fit nicely!)